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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
salliforth has commented on (22) products
Ghostwritten
by
David Mitchell
salliforth
, January 07, 2013
I love Cloud Atlas, and recently had a chance to read Ghostwritten. Cloud Atlas is more daring, more challenging, but the seeds are planted in Ghostwritten. It is similar in style with oblique threads from one story to the next, but the leaps aren't as hard to make. Eminently satisfying, intriguing and once again breaking the mold for a novel, but unlike Cloud Atlas, a book you probably could movie out of.
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Ghostwritten
by
David Mitchell
salliforth
, August 16, 2012
What can I say? I love everything written by David Mitchell. Written before his "Cloud Atlas," this is a series of oddly interconnected stories (e.g. a call to a wrong number in one story changes the lives of people in another) and it keeps the reader working to see those connections. Unlike "Cloud Atlas," which gives a series of the first half of a story, a complete story, and then the endings of each story, the stories here are complete. I have to admit that I had a bit of trouble getting into the first story (based on the sarin gas incident in the Tokyo subway in the late '90s), but I soon found myself tethered to the book. MItchell is a masterful and intriguing writer who is able to break the structure of the novel and make it work.
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Red Garden
by
Alice Hoffman
salliforth
, August 16, 2012
I picked up this book because I'd never read Alice Hoffman's work. What a delightful surprise. Magic realism touches these threaded stories, anchored by place and blood -- the blood of a wounded bear, an electrocuted elephant, flowing through generations. Each story could stand on its own, but set in the context of the novel they are even more rich. Hoffman creates characters you care about, and places them in stories that lurk in the back of your imagination and beg to be re-read.
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Night Circus
by
Erin Morgenstern
salliforth
, February 18, 2012
I just spent the morning finishing The Night Circus when I should have working. Loved it. Loved it. It is romance with the world, with magic. It more than that - it is love of story, the most powerful magic of all.
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Outlander: Outlander: 20th Anniversary Edition
by
Diana Gabaldon
salliforth
, January 28, 2012
OK. I don't read romance books, and this one is usually shelved in Romance. But my sister gave me a copy to read post-surgery and I was hooked. It is time travel, and takes place primarily during the Jacobite Uprising. Think of a WWII combat-weary, slightly feminist English army nurse being thrust into the 18th century when women were supposed to 'behave' and must be protected through male political maneuvering, fighting, and family connections. Needless to say, she doesn't behave and I found myself thinking of I Love Lucy bungling but with greater consequences. The book is peppered with historical lessons, language and facts, filled with political intrigue, humor, and yes romance (a bit too much for me - but I find myself quite fond of our hero, Jamie Frasier) and more. The characters are multi-dimensional, and you find yourself even caring about the villains, or at least having a modicum of sympathy for them. Few of Gabaldon's books are less than 650 pages, and this isn't one of the exceptions, but it is engaging and a relatively quick read. I have not had time to play the CD of "Outlander, the Musical" but it promises some fun.
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A Visit from the Goon Squad
by
Jennifer Egan
salliforth
, January 27, 2012
Oh . . .my . . . God! This book is incredible. What an inventive structure and what a brilliant mind to construct this story. Even a chapter summary would be a spoiler. Just read it. Enjoy it. And then wonder that there are such brilliant writers in the world.
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Maisie Dobbs: Maisie Dobbs 1
by
Jacqueline Winspear
salliforth
, January 27, 2012
OK Enid (formerly of Powells.com), I am totally addicted to this series based on your suggestion. This is one of the smartest, most well researched, interesting series on post WWI Britain. It deals with the fate of women in the post-war dearth of men, how these women could (and could not) make a living, class warfare, shell-shock, the rising middle-class and so much more. I usually read a few books in a series and then get bored with the pattern. But not these. I devoured every single one and can hardly wait for the next one.
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State of Wonder
by
Patchett, Ann
salliforth
, January 11, 2012
Artfully written, with such an inventive plot, Ann Patchett outdoes herself - again. "State of Wonder" tackles such issues as the price of comfort, passions that blind, true human connection, the force and levels of greed, the effects of curiosity and pride, and the mysterious course of nature and so much more. I wanted to discuss this book with someone when I finished - a perfect book club book
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Broom of Ones Own Words on Writing Housecleaning & Life
by
Nancy Peacock
salliforth
, June 09, 2010
An enjoyable short read - sort of a 'writer's beach book.' The author talks about life and writing using the device of her housecleaning clients (an interesting lot!).
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Old Filth
by
Gardam, Jane
salliforth
, October 20, 2009
My book group read this book, and the majority of us loved it. We had a great discussion, and at the end we all agreed that we not only enjoyed the story and writing, we were very impressed with the quality and design of the book itself (something we usually don't comment on). The tale is told through the parsing of bits of information from different perspectives and various times. It intrigues, informs and puzzles - an inventive and effective structure. As a result of our reading this book, we will be reading Kipling's "Kim" soon.
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(5 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
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Live Better South of the Border: A Practical Guide for Living and Working
by
Mike Nelson
salliforth
, August 12, 2009
Very readable, good advice if considering living in Mexico. Mexico Mike has been giving advice on Mexico for years, and has his finger on the pulse of many different locations. The book is not hype - he gives realistic assessments who will be happy where. Friends who recently moved to Mexico said this was one of their best resources.
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Love Walked In
by
Marisa De Los Santos
salliforth
, February 04, 2009
This was a very enjoyable read. I was relieved to find that it was not a Romance novel per se and had a bit more heft. You will really need to suspend your disbelief, and get past the predictability and 'amazing synchronicity' in this book but there is nothing wrong with just having an enjoyable 'brain-candy' read.
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(7 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
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The Great Man
by
Kate Christensen
salliforth
, October 29, 2008
I had a little trouble getting into the insular New York art world, and the characters were not my favorite people. Interesting folks, but hard to relate. I give this book a higher ranking for its ending (where so many other books fall down). It is almost as if it were written from the ending backward. And of course, it is not about the great man, but about the women in his life (his wife, his mistress, her adoring best friend, his illegitimate daughters, his artist-sister). As other reviewers have noted, these are mostly older women with great sex lives and convoluted relationships. At the end, the great man seems totally unmasked.
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(7 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
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Yiddish Policemens Union
by
Michael Chabon
salliforth
, July 01, 2008
It took me about 100 pages to get into this book - and that would have been greatly helped by having a Yiddish dictionary at hand. (I understand that a selected Yiddish dictionary is included in the soft cover version.) I am glad I kept going. By page 110 it was hard to put down. Michael Chabon is a wonderful storyteller, with a great sense of place. Who else could describe the "disappointed gray of a November afternoon" leaking into a room this way: "It's not light oozing through so much as a residue of light, a day haunted by the memory of the sun." Clearly the man has spent some time in Sitka (in spite of the dream of packing that many people into such a tiny spot- even with filling in the bay). I find it very strange that the element of U.S. politicians who aim to help "The Rapture" along, is seldom discussed in reviews. It is integral to the book, and an element of current political lore. In short, I ended up really liking this book, and am looking forward to exploring more of Chabon's work.
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(21 of 41 readers found this comment helpful)
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Burning Fence: A Western Memoir of Fatherhood
by
Craig Lesley
salliforth
, March 11, 2008
Raw and haunting, Craig Lesley's "Burning Fence" is painfully personal. His descriptions of the sprawling , brawling dysfunctional Lesley family are touched with love, curiosity, anger and pain. The story opens with a funeral in the midst of a forest fire that 'nobody could handle' - just as no one could handle his father. The fire burned the places his father had loved, the fences he had built both in on the range and in life, and perhaps burned away some of the anger that had fueled Craig's life for far too long. The book is fully colored by Western American life, had times and hope.
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(7 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
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Eat Pray Love One Womans Search for Everything Across Italy India & Indonesia
by
Elizabeth Gilbert
salliforth
, September 15, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud during 'eat,' I understood some aspects of yoga and meditation that had been elusive in 'pray'. And 'love? Well, there were times it seemed a little over the top and she seemed a little gullible, but I still very much enjoyed it. Her writing reminds me of Anne Lamott in its intimacy, humor and seriousness about the serendipity of life.
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(15 of 24 readers found this comment helpful)
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How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author
by
Janet Evanovich
salliforth
, September 15, 2007
Fans of Janet Evanovich will love this book! Aptly named, it is not a general writing 'how to' book, but a book in which Evanovich answers readers' questions about her writing process. Want to know who inspired the character Grandma Mazur? Why Stephanie always blows up a car in every book and ends up in Big Blue the indestructible Buick? What a Bad-boy Hero is? How and why Evanovich transititioned from Romance to Mystery? Then this is the book for you. It also has writing tips throughout and lists of writing resources in the back of the book.
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(11 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
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How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author
by
Janet Evanovich
salliforth
, September 15, 2007
Fans of Janet Evanovich will love this book! Aptly named, it is not a general writing 'how to' book, but a book in which Evanovich answers readers' questions about her writing process. Want to know who inspired the character Grandma Mazur? Why Stephanie always blows up a car in every book and ends up in Big Blue the indestructible Buick? What a Bad-boy Hero is? How and why Evanovich transititioned from Romance to Mystery? This is the book for you. It also has writing tips and lists of resources in the back of the book.
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(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
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Winter Wheat
by
Mildred Walker
salliforth
, September 15, 2007
This bittersweet coming of age tale is simply told and beautifully written. It is a story of love and a tale of place told by a girl in the process of becoming a young woman. The irony of misperception and its costs are lovingly illustrated against the harshly beautiful backdrop of Montana in the early 1940s and the burgeoning world war.
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Steens Country
by
Mark Highberger
salliforth
, September 25, 2006
If you are looking for a guide book to the Steens, this isn't the book for you. But if you are looking for charming stories about Steens country past and present this is the one. The anecdotes and histories are a great introduction to the area. Read them along the way as you travel, or to inspire you to travel farther afield. Originally published as news features, the stories sometimes repeat themselves, which can be annoying.
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(7 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
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Touring Washington & Oregon Hot Springs 1st Edition
by
Jeff Birkby
salliforth
, July 07, 2006
This book is aimed at hot springs with easy access--no or very little hiking. Most are developed. It has good histories, good location information and maps, best times to visit etc., area attractions and a nice list of favorites. There is one entry, Hot Lake Hotel near La Grande, that seems rather odd to include since it is abandoned and no entry is allowed.
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(11 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
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Ghost Road
by
Pat Barker
salliforth
, March 29, 2006
Pat Barker's "Regeneration Trilogy" ("Regeneration", "Eye in the Door" and "Ghost Road") is a thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully written read. Ms. Barker did voluminous research on the times (WWI), people (writers Sigfried Sasson and Wilfred Owen, psychiatrist Dr. Wm Rivers, et al.) and events (involving shell shock, pacifism, psychiatry), and it shows. Her descriptions are poetic and achingly real, and her characters multi-faceted: funny, strange, broken, solid. She deftly weaves in symbolism and themes throughout her inventive structures. Although each of the books stands on its own (and Ghost Road won the Booker Prize), reading them in sequnce gives one a richer experience.
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(26 of 42 readers found this comment helpful)
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